ATLTF SEEMS DEAD

I will admit it too. I don't get on, but every other week to get up to date with every thing. According to the site I was last on 8/6/15. I think the build off and school is what makes it seem dead. Everyone busy trying to finish their rig and all. Also, with Doc and fearlessfront not being on that much, to me, really makes it seem dead.

i get on every 2 or 3 days atleast i dont post much but read alot lol but yea fb is easier to get on and ask questions and post pictures and videos, thats whats killing atltf atm plus some find it pretty hard to use on mobile devices so thats a down fall aswell if they had a desk top or lap top they would find it much easier too use then on mobile devices when i address this to people but dont seem to help none....

Atltf is my home page I'm on many times a day right now there's just 0 progress on my builds so I lurk and the f350 is my project for now

willis923 wrote:

ill be the first to admit, i used to be active as all get out, kinda lost intrest, but i will hop on every few days and check over my section. like doug said the FB groups are blowing us out like a candle... not much we can do about that either...

I admit it aswell, I am on at least once every few days but I have had no updates to post on my tractors or my truck because I have not had the interest to record a video and now my phone got broken and doesn't work to well.

I haven't been on because I can't spend any money on tractors because of my dad

We just need to change the name of the site to ATMAFF.com All Things Mechanical And Fabrication Forum.com. Broaden things out a bit. Then cut down the forum structure some so the lawn tractor section only uses about a third or quarter of what it does now. Then the rest of the sections could be for various small engines, mini bikes, go-karts, ect. The way things are now would be perfect if there was about a 250% increase in people using the forum. But modifying lawn tractors is a kind of limited thing I think.

It doesn't really matter what you do Forum in general are dying because of social media websites like Twitter and Facebook

offroadohio wrote:

It doesn't really matter what you do Forum in general are dying because of social media websites like Twitter and Facebook

True. I use the forum because it is easier to keep up with and original. Tried the facebook page, but its just not the same.

Forum software is alot better at retaining the information and has alot better search function and ease of navigation than facebook. However uploading pics and videos on fb is way easier.

I think this page needs to look into installing the tapatalk app. That helps with mobile use way more than a mobile skin does.

We need to change to a different host to be able to do that. Looked into it. Pretty much have to pay for one if you want a decent one.

I use host gator for my forum.

$10 a month unlimited bandwidth.

Tapatalk makes forum use on phones cray simple.

For sure, that's a big drag. Seems like we don't get your average forum folk, more like the younger crowd.

Mind if I ask what forum?

redlinemotorsportts wrote:

Seems like we don't get your average forum folk, more like the younger crowd.

Well how many people are out there building stuff from lawn tractors? Lawn mower racing is fairly limited in popularity and even that doesn't fit into the category of this forum. I don't think there's been a serious loss of people here so much as just the normal coming and going of people. I could be wrong, I don't pay real close attention to such things. For example, if you have 10 people on here posting on various things and then they all leave, that would make a fairly significant difference in things since everything is pretty small scale here. 10 people deciding they are tired of messing with their lawn mower is not such a big deal when you think of how many people are around.
Here's the real reason why people decide to leave. Buttons at the top..."portal" should say "home" and where "home" is should say "forum". Then if you click on a thread and decide to log in, after logging in, you should be directed back to that thread instead of the forum home.
Maybe not, but that stuff would be nice.

On a slightly more serious note, I still think the forum theme could be expanded somehow to cover a broader range of projects while still keeping the main focus on things being built from lawn tractor/mower parts.

So, here's what we need.
1st- A new forum server deal, so everyone with all their phones and junk are good.
2nd- New forum structure, focused mainly on tractor projects, but also including other custom fabricated junk.
3rd- Easier to remember web address. Sure ATLTF is easy to remember after a year, but when I first got on here, I had to think of what the heck it stood for every time I tried typing it in.
4th- Tractor related logo and official forum colors, so when we advertise on stuff, people remember it. logo needs to look cool but not super complex. Otherwise I won't be able to paint it on stuff as easy. Maybe something like a lawn tractor silhouette in a circle with the web site name over it.

Offroadohio.Com is my forum.

I agree with most of what Mr modified says.

But I think if you try to expand coverage of things out side of mowers it needs to be in a small scale. The great thing about forums is the dedication to subject. I don't come here looking to get tips on my ford truck. I use a ford specific forum for that. I may ask a non mower related question in off topic becuase that's what that is for.

You can purchase a new domain name and make it autodirect to atltf so the name can stay the same but it's easier for people to remember.

Like mudmower.Com. offroadmowers.Com customlawntractors.Com. mylawntractor.Com mymudmower.Com etc.

Forum software and ease of use is a big factor. vbulletein is the best imo. Phpbb is free though so that's what i use. It's a little more complex to mod than vbulletin is. I'd suggest v bulletin if theembers here Woukd contribute to the purchase of the program, or I'd go phpbb if you decided to switch.

As a couple of us have stated. The users will always come and go becuase obly so many people playing with mowers. Some grow up, some of us never will!

One other thing. It shoukd cost you very little to run the site.

I literally spend 125 a year on offroadohio. UT most of that is covered by user donations or t shirt and decal sale profits. I sell decals that cost ne 3 for 5. Shirts cost me about 8 I sell them for 15 shipped. I'm only making about a $1.5 per shirt and $1.5 a sticker but I sell enough of them to cover a good deal of my cost.

I have a specific "supporting memebers" forum for those who contribute money to the site. Only they can see it and I give them some control on what changes we make to the site. Sort of like how congress works.

I'd buy a couple atltf decals if I saw them forsale.

offroadohio wrote:

The great thing about forums is the dedication to subject.  I don't come here looking to get tips on my ford truck.  I use a ford specific forum for that.  

I was going to bring this up. I have a ford thread in a ford forum because there's more people that know about that than here. I don't see why you should expand into something some forum has already covered, like a fabrication section. If someone wants to take time to post a thread they'd post in a forum where they can get more ideas bounced around.

I like this specific forum, but I don't see a easy way to expand. All we can do is change the format to make it seem more streamline.

Really need a host change to be able to customize anything.

Look like this site is running on a crazy outdated version of phpbb. Wouldnt be hard to update to a newer version on a new host. Are you able to do a back up of the site to convert to new software?

I started my site on a free host aswell and converted a few years later after they shut down

I don't know anything about our format, but I have talked to Doug about it. He wasn't quite sure how to back up. Guess we have to bring the topic up again and see what we can do.

I've been running my farm for 10 years on my own I'm still not the greatest at it but I would be more than willing to get in there and see what I could figure out as far as backing it up so that it can be converted. Even when I was running on a free host like you guys are I still had full control over the mods that I added to the form and backing up my data tables and all of that stuff so I'm sure you guys probably have that ability as well

The word form should be forum in the above post.

redlinemotorsportts wrote:

offroadohio wrote:

The great thing about forums is the dedication to subject.  I don't come here looking to get tips on my ford truck.  I use a ford specific forum for that.  

I was going to bring this up. I have a ford thread in a ford forum because there's more people that know about that than here. I don't see why you should expand into something some forum has already covered, like a fabrication section. If someone wants to take time to post a thread they'd post in a forum where they can get more ideas bounced around.

True, but I guess I just mean stuff like prancstaman's tracked vehicle in the build off. Stuff that has lawn tractor parts but not necessarily a lawn tractor. I guess it's been extra dead here recently, but has there ever been that much action?

It appears we are going into another cycle in 2017.     Maybe summer and some of the better known names posting "mudding" videos again will peak some more interest.   Watching them, life has gotten more complex or busy in other areas than to "Play" and share exciting our interests.

Its been like that every year. Everybody is spending more time riding or in the shop. Its a good yet bad thing.

I've been busy with a bunch of stuff. Trying to finish the ATLTF chevy race truck to do some advertising....

I wrote ATLTF.com on one of those paper table cloths at Crabby Joe's a few days ago... so things should pick up mighty soon.